June 3, 2002 – The GESC/Health Insurance board of trustees will meet at 10 a.m. Wednesday in the V.I. Justice Department library, located on the street level of the GERS Building.
Publisher's note : Like the St. Thomas Source now? Find out how you can love us twice as much — and show your support for the islands' free and independent news voice … click here
EUDORA KEAN 30TH ANNIVERSARY BALL IS JUNE 28
June 3, 2003 – The Ivanna Eudora Kean High School 30th Anniversary Committee invites alumni, family and friends to its 30th Anniversary Alumni Ball, set for June 28 at Wyndham Sugar Bay Resort.
The gala event, in celebration of 30 years of commencement ceremonies at the school, will honor Felicia Industrious, Lorraine Milliner, Dr. Bert Petersen, Dr. Carmen Samuel and Eleanor Todman.
For more information and tickets, call the school at 775-6380 or 643-0217.
Publisher's note : Like the St. John Source now? Find out how you can love us twice as much — and show your support for the islands' free and independent news voice … click here.
The gala event, in celebration of 30 years of commencement ceremonies at the school, will honor Felicia Industrious, Lorraine Milliner, Dr. Bert Petersen, Dr. Carmen Samuel and Eleanor Todman.
For more information and tickets, call the school at 775-6380 or 643-0217.
Publisher's note : Like the St. John Source now? Find out how you can love us twice as much — and show your support for the islands' free and independent news voice … click here.
EUDORA KEAN 30TH ANNIVERSARY BALL IS JUNE 28
June 3, 2003 – The Ivanna Eudora Kean High School 30th Anniversary Committee invites alumni, family and friends to its 30th Anniversary Alumni Ball, set for June 28 at Wyndham Sugar Bay Resort.
The gala event, in celebration of 30 years of commencement ceremonies at the school, will honor Felicia Industrious, Lorraine Milliner, Dr. Bert Petersen, Dr. Carmen Samuel and Eleanor Todman.
For more information and tickets, call the school at 775-6380 or 643-0217.
Publisher's note : Like the St. Thomas Source now? Find out how you can love us twice as much — and show your support for the islands' free and independent news voice … click here.
The gala event, in celebration of 30 years of commencement ceremonies at the school, will honor Felicia Industrious, Lorraine Milliner, Dr. Bert Petersen, Dr. Carmen Samuel and Eleanor Todman.
For more information and tickets, call the school at 775-6380 or 643-0217.
Publisher's note : Like the St. Thomas Source now? Find out how you can love us twice as much — and show your support for the islands' free and independent news voice … click here.
CANCEL EXECUTIVE ORDER PAY HIKES, SENATE SAYS
June 3, 2003 – The Senate threw down the gauntlet before the administration on Tuesday, with all 15 members telling the governor in a letter that there's got to be a quid pro quo if he expects the lawmakers to go along with his plan to borrow more money to keep the government afloat.
The deal: roll back the hefty pay raises granted to exempt and unclassified government workers in 2002 under the aegis of an executive order Gov. Charles W. Turnbull issued in November of 2001.
"We are respectfully requesting the immediate repeal of Sections 1, 2 and 3 of Executive Order No. 401-2002, dated Nov. 1, 2001, as both a sign and measure of the executive branch's willingness to work with the Legislature to reduce the operating cost of our government," the letter said.
And it set a deadline for his doing so: "no later than 10 a.m. on Thursday" — which is when the Senate Finance Committee is scheduled to convene to take up the six bills Turnbull submitted late on the night of May 20 for consideration at a special session he had called for May 22. At the session, the Senate voted to refer all of the bills to the Finance Committee.
At a press conference held Tuesday morning in the Legislative Conference Room on St. Croix, Senate President David Jones, flanked by 10 majority and minority bloc members, said "all have decided to put aside their differences" to try to resolve the financial crisis, a release issued later in the day stated.
Jones said that what comes out of the Finance Committee meeting on Thursday "will go to the [Senate] floor on Monday in regular session where the Senate will act."
He indicated, according to the release, that the session will focus on "the development of initiatives to relieve the stress on our financial conditions and, most importantly, cut costs and raise revenues."
Sen. Raymond "Usie" Richards, the Minority Caucus leader, expressed the minority's "continued willingness to work in unison to address our government's need for financial stability, growth and development."
What the senators want repealed
Section 1 of the November 2001 executive order repeals earlier orders issued in 1987, 1990, 1994 and 1999.
Section 2 caps the salary for commissioners, the Office of Management and Budget director, the Personnel director "and persons in similar position of authority as may be determined by the governor" at $97,000. It caps those for assistant commissioners and those in similar positions at $92,000, those for deputy commissioners and those in similar positions at $87,000 and those for division directors and administrators, coordinators and those in similar positions at $70,000.
Section 3 provides that each commissioner or agency head shall, in conjunction with the OMB director, certify that the implementation of the managerial salary schedule established in Section 2 "does not exceed the existing level of appropriations for the department, agency or office for which the commissioner or other head is responsible."
The senators have not called for repeal of the only other section of the executive order. It states that "retired employees whose salaries were adjusted pursuant to Executive Order No. 347-1994 and rescinded by Executive Order No. 350-1995 shall have such salary adjustment reinstated for annuity purposes only."
According to a list of proposed salary increases for hundreds of upper and mid-level exempt government employees dated May 28, 2002, and published by the Source last July, the executive order was expected to add a total of about $6.4 million per year to the government payroll. Most of the increases were in excess of 20 percent and many exceeded 30 percent.
The average proposed salary increase was to $49,923 from $41,540.
(For the complete list of all unclassified employees who were slated to receive increases under the order, with their then-existing and proposed salaries, go to the Source Data: section and type the word "exempt" into the search prompt at the bottom of the page. A total of 12 lists covering the various departments and agencies are posted.)
One of the immediate effects of the executive order was to provide for increasing the salaries of commissioners to $85,000 from $65,000. The governor argued that the measure was needed because some heads of departments were making less than some of those serving under them, thanks to step increases, negotiated pay scales and/or longevity.
Last December, Turnbull submitted a bill to the 24th Legislature similarly increasing the salaries of legislators to $85,000, while also increasing those of the lieutenant governor (to $115,000 from $75,000) and governor (to $135,000 from $80,000). The Senate passed the bill in its final, free-spending session, on Dec. 23. But Turnbull, in the face of public protests mounted at his second-term inaugural festivities on St. Thomas, St. John and, especially, St. Croix, vetoed his own measure. Thus, senators' salaries remain at $65,000.
What the adminstration wants approved
In the letter signed by all 15 senators on Tuesday, they noted that "as a body, we have allowed for and accepted the executive branch's reduction of the Legislature's allotment by 14 percent. The executive branch must now exhibit the same willingness to exercise immediate restraint by cutting spending. The most critical expenditure of this government is, in fact, our payroll cost."
On April 24, the governor announced that the territory was facing a deficit of $100 million for the fiscal year ending Sept. 30. That figure was quickly raised to $115, and in recent testimony before the Senate, members of Turnbull's financial term said it could reach $144 million with a District Court moratorium imposed May 12 on the collection of real property taxes until such time as the government complies with a years-old order to reform its property tax assessment and collection system.
Turnbull's six-bill package now before the Senate includes virtually no proposed spending cutbacks. It calls for the government to borrow another $235 million, to spend most of it on various projects including the building of an $80 million hotel on St. Croix that the government would own, and to raise numerous existing taxes and add new ones, virtually all of them aimed at the business sector. (See "Outline of bills submitted to special session".
"We must emphasize that the entire legislative body has agreed to continue the process of adequately analyzing your financial recovery proposals submitted during the special session and referred to the Finance Committee," the senators' Tuesday letter stated. "However, the Legislature finds it difficult to incur more financial debt by borrowing money without a significant reduction in payroll costs. The greatest concern for the body is the need to roll back pay increases issued prior to November 2002 in accordance with the executive orders."
The letter also noted that a 1999 Memorandum of Understanding between the V.I. government and the U.S. Interior Department "required your administration to implement specific budgetary reforms and to submit a balanced 2004 budget." However, it said, "Despite some successful reforms in FY 1999, several audits and financial reports have revealed that the administration has failed to comply with the terms of the MOU."
Publisher's note : Like the St. Croix Source now? Find out how you can love us twice as much — and show your support for the islands' free and independent news voice … click here.
The deal: roll back the hefty pay raises granted to exempt and unclassified government workers in 2002 under the aegis of an executive order Gov. Charles W. Turnbull issued in November of 2001.
"We are respectfully requesting the immediate repeal of Sections 1, 2 and 3 of Executive Order No. 401-2002, dated Nov. 1, 2001, as both a sign and measure of the executive branch's willingness to work with the Legislature to reduce the operating cost of our government," the letter said.
And it set a deadline for his doing so: "no later than 10 a.m. on Thursday" — which is when the Senate Finance Committee is scheduled to convene to take up the six bills Turnbull submitted late on the night of May 20 for consideration at a special session he had called for May 22. At the session, the Senate voted to refer all of the bills to the Finance Committee.
At a press conference held Tuesday morning in the Legislative Conference Room on St. Croix, Senate President David Jones, flanked by 10 majority and minority bloc members, said "all have decided to put aside their differences" to try to resolve the financial crisis, a release issued later in the day stated.
Jones said that what comes out of the Finance Committee meeting on Thursday "will go to the [Senate] floor on Monday in regular session where the Senate will act."
He indicated, according to the release, that the session will focus on "the development of initiatives to relieve the stress on our financial conditions and, most importantly, cut costs and raise revenues."
Sen. Raymond "Usie" Richards, the Minority Caucus leader, expressed the minority's "continued willingness to work in unison to address our government's need for financial stability, growth and development."
What the senators want repealed
Section 1 of the November 2001 executive order repeals earlier orders issued in 1987, 1990, 1994 and 1999.
Section 2 caps the salary for commissioners, the Office of Management and Budget director, the Personnel director "and persons in similar position of authority as may be determined by the governor" at $97,000. It caps those for assistant commissioners and those in similar positions at $92,000, those for deputy commissioners and those in similar positions at $87,000 and those for division directors and administrators, coordinators and those in similar positions at $70,000.
Section 3 provides that each commissioner or agency head shall, in conjunction with the OMB director, certify that the implementation of the managerial salary schedule established in Section 2 "does not exceed the existing level of appropriations for the department, agency or office for which the commissioner or other head is responsible."
The senators have not called for repeal of the only other section of the executive order. It states that "retired employees whose salaries were adjusted pursuant to Executive Order No. 347-1994 and rescinded by Executive Order No. 350-1995 shall have such salary adjustment reinstated for annuity purposes only."
According to a list of proposed salary increases for hundreds of upper and mid-level exempt government employees dated May 28, 2002, and published by the Source last July, the executive order was expected to add a total of about $6.4 million per year to the government payroll. Most of the increases were in excess of 20 percent and many exceeded 30 percent.
The average proposed salary increase was to $49,923 from $41,540.
(For the complete list of all unclassified employees who were slated to receive increases under the order, with their then-existing and proposed salaries, go to the Source Data: section and type the word "exempt" into the search prompt at the bottom of the page. A total of 12 lists covering the various departments and agencies are posted.)
One of the immediate effects of the executive order was to provide for increasing the salaries of commissioners to $85,000 from $65,000. The governor argued that the measure was needed because some heads of departments were making less than some of those serving under them, thanks to step increases, negotiated pay scales and/or longevity.
Last December, Turnbull submitted a bill to the 24th Legislature similarly increasing the salaries of legislators to $85,000, while also increasing those of the lieutenant governor (to $115,000 from $75,000) and governor (to $135,000 from $80,000). The Senate passed the bill in its final, free-spending session, on Dec. 23. But Turnbull, in the face of public protests mounted at his second-term inaugural festivities on St. Thomas, St. John and, especially, St. Croix, vetoed his own measure. Thus, senators' salaries remain at $65,000.
What the adminstration wants approved
In the letter signed by all 15 senators on Tuesday, they noted that "as a body, we have allowed for and accepted the executive branch's reduction of the Legislature's allotment by 14 percent. The executive branch must now exhibit the same willingness to exercise immediate restraint by cutting spending. The most critical expenditure of this government is, in fact, our payroll cost."
On April 24, the governor announced that the territory was facing a deficit of $100 million for the fiscal year ending Sept. 30. That figure was quickly raised to $115, and in recent testimony before the Senate, members of Turnbull's financial term said it could reach $144 million with a District Court moratorium imposed May 12 on the collection of real property taxes until such time as the government complies with a years-old order to reform its property tax assessment and collection system.
Turnbull's six-bill package now before the Senate includes virtually no proposed spending cutbacks. It calls for the government to borrow another $235 million, to spend most of it on various projects including the building of an $80 million hotel on St. Croix that the government would own, and to raise numerous existing taxes and add new ones, virtually all of them aimed at the business sector. (See "Outline of bills submitted to special session".
"We must emphasize that the entire legislative body has agreed to continue the process of adequately analyzing your financial recovery proposals submitted during the special session and referred to the Finance Committee," the senators' Tuesday letter stated. "However, the Legislature finds it difficult to incur more financial debt by borrowing money without a significant reduction in payroll costs. The greatest concern for the body is the need to roll back pay increases issued prior to November 2002 in accordance with the executive orders."
The letter also noted that a 1999 Memorandum of Understanding between the V.I. government and the U.S. Interior Department "required your administration to implement specific budgetary reforms and to submit a balanced 2004 budget." However, it said, "Despite some successful reforms in FY 1999, several audits and financial reports have revealed that the administration has failed to comply with the terms of the MOU."
Publisher's note : Like the St. Croix Source now? Find out how you can love us twice as much — and show your support for the islands' free and independent news voice … click here.
CANCEL EXECUTIVE ORDER PAY HIKES, SENATE SAYS
June 3, 2003 – The Senate threw down the gauntlet before the administration on Tuesday, with all 15 members telling the governor in a letter that there's got to be a quid pro quo if he expects the lawmakers to go along with his plan to borrow more money to keep the government afloat.
The deal: roll back the hefty pay raises granted to exempt and unclassified government workers in 2002 under the aegis of an executive order Gov. Charles W. Turnbull issued in November of 2001.
"We are respectfully requesting the immediate repeal of Sections 1, 2 and 3 of Executive Order No. 401-2002, dated Nov. 1, 2001, as both a sign and measure of the executive branch's willingness to work with the Legislature to reduce the operating cost of our government," the letter said.
And it set a deadline for his doing so: "no later than 10 a.m. on Thursday" — which is when the Senate Finance Committee is scheduled to convene to take up the six bills Turnbull submitted late on the night of May 20 for consideration at a special session he had called for May 22. At the session, the Senate voted to refer all of the bills to the Finance Committee.
At a press conference held Tuesday morning in the Legislative Conference Room on St. Croix, Senate President David Jones, flanked by 10 majority and minority bloc members, said "all have decided to put aside their differences" to try to resolve the financial crisis, a release issued later in the day stated.
Jones said that what comes out of the Finance Committee meeting on Thursday "will go to the [Senate] floor on Monday in regular session where the Senate will act."
He indicated, according to the release, that the session will focus on "the development of initiatives to relieve the stress on our financial conditions and, most importantly, cut costs and raise revenues."
Sen. Raymond "Usie" Richards, the Minority Caucus leader, expressed the minority's "continued willingness to work in unison to address our government's need for financial stability, growth and development."
What the senators want repealed
Section 1 of the November 2001 executive order repeals earlier orders issued in 1987, 1990, 1994 and 1999.
Section 2 caps the salary for commissioners, the Office of Management and Budget director, the Personnel director "and persons in similar position of authority as may be determined by the governor" at $97,000. It caps those for assistant commissioners and those in similar positions at $92,000, those for deputy commissioners and those in similar positions at $87,000 and those for division directors and administrators, coordinators and those in similar positions at $70,000.
Section 3 provides that each commissioner or agency head shall, in conjunction with the OMB director, certify that the implementation of the managerial salary schedule established in Section 2 "does not exceed the existing level of appropriations for the department, agency or office for which the commissioner or other head is responsible."
The senators have not called for repeal of the only other section of the executive order. It states that "retired employees whose salaries were adjusted pursuant to Executive Order No. 347-1994 and rescinded by Executive Order No. 350-1995 shall have such salary adjustment reinstated for annuity purposes only."
According to a list of proposed salary increases for hundreds of upper and mid-level exempt government employees dated May 28, 2002, and published by the Source last July, the executive order was expected to add a total of about $6.4 million per year to the government payroll. Most of the increases were in excess of 20 percent and many exceeded 30 percent.
The average proposed salary increase was to $49,923 from $41,540.
(For the complete list of all unclassified employees who were slated to receive increases under the order, with their then-existing and proposed salaries, go to the Source Data: section and type the word "exempt" into the search prompt at the bottom of the page. A total of 12 lists covering the various departments and agencies are posted.)
One of the immediate effects of the executive order was to provide for increasing the salaries of commissioners to $85,000 from $65,000. The governor argued that the measure was needed because some heads of departments were making less than some of those serving under them, thanks to step increases, negotiated pay scales and/or longevity.
Last December, Turnbull submitted a bill to the 24th Legislature similarly increasing the salaries of legislators to $85,000, while also increasing those of the lieutenant governor (to $115,000 from $75,000) and governor (to $135,000 from $80,000). The Senate passed the bill in its final, free-spending session, on Dec. 23. But Turnbull, in the face of public protests mounted at his second-term inaugural festivities on St. Thomas, St. John and, especially, St. Croix, vetoed his own measure. Thus, senators' salaries remain at $65,000.
What the adminstration wants approved
In the letter signed by all 15 senators on Tuesday, they noted that "as a body, we have allowed for and accepted the executive branch's reduction of the Legislature's allotment by 14 percent. The executive branch must now exhibit the same willingness to exercise immediate restraint by cutting spending. The most critical expenditure of this government is, in fact, our payroll cost."
On April 24, the governor announced that the territory was facing a deficit of $100 million for the fiscal year ending Sept. 30. That figure was quickly raised to $115, and in recent testimony before the Senate, members of Turnbull's financial term said it could reach $144 million with a District Court moratorium imposed May 12 on the collection of real property taxes until such time as the government complies with a years-old order to reform its property tax assessment and collection system.
Turnbull's six-bill package now before the Senate includes virtually no proposed spending cutbacks. It calls for the government to borrow another $235 million, to spend most of it on various projects including the building of an $80 million hotel on St. Croix that the government would own, and to raise numerous existing taxes and add new ones, virtually all of them aimed at the business sector. (See "Outline of bills submitted to special session".
"We must emphasize that the entire legislative body has agreed to continue the process of adequately analyzing your financial recovery proposals submitted during the special session and referred to the Finance Committee," the senators' Tuesday letter stated. "However, the Legislature finds it difficult to incur more financial debt by borrowing money without a significant reduction in payroll costs. The greatest concern for the body is the need to roll back pay increases issued prior to November 2002 in accordance with the executive orders."
The letter also noted that a 1999 Memorandum of Understanding between the V.I. government and the U.S. Interior Department "required your administration to implement specific budgetary reforms and to submit a balanced 2004 budget." However, it said, "Despite some successful reforms in FY 1999, several audits and financial reports have revealed that the administration has failed to comply with the terms of the MOU."
Publisher's note : Like the St. John Source now? Find out how you can love us twice as much — and show your support for the islands' free and independent news voice … click here.
The deal: roll back the hefty pay raises granted to exempt and unclassified government workers in 2002 under the aegis of an executive order Gov. Charles W. Turnbull issued in November of 2001.
"We are respectfully requesting the immediate repeal of Sections 1, 2 and 3 of Executive Order No. 401-2002, dated Nov. 1, 2001, as both a sign and measure of the executive branch's willingness to work with the Legislature to reduce the operating cost of our government," the letter said.
And it set a deadline for his doing so: "no later than 10 a.m. on Thursday" — which is when the Senate Finance Committee is scheduled to convene to take up the six bills Turnbull submitted late on the night of May 20 for consideration at a special session he had called for May 22. At the session, the Senate voted to refer all of the bills to the Finance Committee.
At a press conference held Tuesday morning in the Legislative Conference Room on St. Croix, Senate President David Jones, flanked by 10 majority and minority bloc members, said "all have decided to put aside their differences" to try to resolve the financial crisis, a release issued later in the day stated.
Jones said that what comes out of the Finance Committee meeting on Thursday "will go to the [Senate] floor on Monday in regular session where the Senate will act."
He indicated, according to the release, that the session will focus on "the development of initiatives to relieve the stress on our financial conditions and, most importantly, cut costs and raise revenues."
Sen. Raymond "Usie" Richards, the Minority Caucus leader, expressed the minority's "continued willingness to work in unison to address our government's need for financial stability, growth and development."
What the senators want repealed
Section 1 of the November 2001 executive order repeals earlier orders issued in 1987, 1990, 1994 and 1999.
Section 2 caps the salary for commissioners, the Office of Management and Budget director, the Personnel director "and persons in similar position of authority as may be determined by the governor" at $97,000. It caps those for assistant commissioners and those in similar positions at $92,000, those for deputy commissioners and those in similar positions at $87,000 and those for division directors and administrators, coordinators and those in similar positions at $70,000.
Section 3 provides that each commissioner or agency head shall, in conjunction with the OMB director, certify that the implementation of the managerial salary schedule established in Section 2 "does not exceed the existing level of appropriations for the department, agency or office for which the commissioner or other head is responsible."
The senators have not called for repeal of the only other section of the executive order. It states that "retired employees whose salaries were adjusted pursuant to Executive Order No. 347-1994 and rescinded by Executive Order No. 350-1995 shall have such salary adjustment reinstated for annuity purposes only."
According to a list of proposed salary increases for hundreds of upper and mid-level exempt government employees dated May 28, 2002, and published by the Source last July, the executive order was expected to add a total of about $6.4 million per year to the government payroll. Most of the increases were in excess of 20 percent and many exceeded 30 percent.
The average proposed salary increase was to $49,923 from $41,540.
(For the complete list of all unclassified employees who were slated to receive increases under the order, with their then-existing and proposed salaries, go to the Source Data: section and type the word "exempt" into the search prompt at the bottom of the page. A total of 12 lists covering the various departments and agencies are posted.)
One of the immediate effects of the executive order was to provide for increasing the salaries of commissioners to $85,000 from $65,000. The governor argued that the measure was needed because some heads of departments were making less than some of those serving under them, thanks to step increases, negotiated pay scales and/or longevity.
Last December, Turnbull submitted a bill to the 24th Legislature similarly increasing the salaries of legislators to $85,000, while also increasing those of the lieutenant governor (to $115,000 from $75,000) and governor (to $135,000 from $80,000). The Senate passed the bill in its final, free-spending session, on Dec. 23. But Turnbull, in the face of public protests mounted at his second-term inaugural festivities on St. Thomas, St. John and, especially, St. Croix, vetoed his own measure. Thus, senators' salaries remain at $65,000.
What the adminstration wants approved
In the letter signed by all 15 senators on Tuesday, they noted that "as a body, we have allowed for and accepted the executive branch's reduction of the Legislature's allotment by 14 percent. The executive branch must now exhibit the same willingness to exercise immediate restraint by cutting spending. The most critical expenditure of this government is, in fact, our payroll cost."
On April 24, the governor announced that the territory was facing a deficit of $100 million for the fiscal year ending Sept. 30. That figure was quickly raised to $115, and in recent testimony before the Senate, members of Turnbull's financial term said it could reach $144 million with a District Court moratorium imposed May 12 on the collection of real property taxes until such time as the government complies with a years-old order to reform its property tax assessment and collection system.
Turnbull's six-bill package now before the Senate includes virtually no proposed spending cutbacks. It calls for the government to borrow another $235 million, to spend most of it on various projects including the building of an $80 million hotel on St. Croix that the government would own, and to raise numerous existing taxes and add new ones, virtually all of them aimed at the business sector. (See "Outline of bills submitted to special session".
"We must emphasize that the entire legislative body has agreed to continue the process of adequately analyzing your financial recovery proposals submitted during the special session and referred to the Finance Committee," the senators' Tuesday letter stated. "However, the Legislature finds it difficult to incur more financial debt by borrowing money without a significant reduction in payroll costs. The greatest concern for the body is the need to roll back pay increases issued prior to November 2002 in accordance with the executive orders."
The letter also noted that a 1999 Memorandum of Understanding between the V.I. government and the U.S. Interior Department "required your administration to implement specific budgetary reforms and to submit a balanced 2004 budget." However, it said, "Despite some successful reforms in FY 1999, several audits and financial reports have revealed that the administration has failed to comply with the terms of the MOU."
Publisher's note : Like the St. John Source now? Find out how you can love us twice as much — and show your support for the islands' free and independent news voice … click here.
CANCEL EXECUTIVE ORDER PAY HIKES, SENATE SAYS
June 3, 2003 – The Senate threw down the gauntlet before the administration on Tuesday, with all 15 members telling the governor in a letter that there's got to be a quid pro quo if he expects the lawmakers to go along with his plan to borrow more money to keep the government afloat.
The deal: roll back the hefty pay raises granted to exempt and unclassified government workers in 2002 under the aegis of an executive order Gov. Charles W. Turnbull issued in November of 2001.
"We are respectfully requesting the immediate repeal of Sections 1, 2 and 3 of Executive Order No. 401-2002, dated Nov. 1, 2001, as both a sign and measure of the executive branch's willingness to work with the Legislature to reduce the operating cost of our government," the letter said.
And it set a deadline for his doing so: "no later than 10 a.m. on Thursday" — which is when the Senate Finance Committee is scheduled to convene to take up the six bills Turnbull submitted late on the night of May 20 for consideration at a special session he had called for May 22. At the session, the Senate voted to refer all of the bills to the Finance Committee.
At a press conference held Tuesday morning in the Legislative Conference Room on St. Croix, Senate President David Jones, flanked by 10 majority and minority bloc members, said "all have decided to put aside their differences" to try to resolve the financial crisis, a release issued later in the day stated.
Jones said that what comes out of the Finance Committee meeting on Thursday "will go to the [Senate] floor on Monday in regular session where the Senate will act."
He indicated, according to the release, that the session will focus on "the development of initiatives to relieve the stress on our financial conditions and, most importantly, cut costs and raise revenues."
Sen. Raymond "Usie" Richards, the Minority Caucus leader, expressed the minority's "continued willingness to work in unison to address our government's need for financial stability, growth and development."
What the senators want repealed
Section 1 of the November 2001 executive order repeals earlier orders issued in 1987, 1990, 1994 and 1999.
Section 2 caps the salary for commissioners, the Office of Management and Budget director, the Personnel director "and persons in similar position of authority as may be determined by the governor" at $97,000. It caps those for assistant commissioners and those in similar positions at $92,000, those for deputy commissioners and those in similar positions at $87,000 and those for division directors and administrators, coordinators and those in similar positions at $70,000.
Section 3 provides that each commissioner or agency head shall, in conjunction with the OMB director, certify that the implementation of the managerial salary schedule established in Section 2 "does not exceed the existing level of appropriations for the department, agency or office for which the commissioner or other head is responsible."
The senators have not called for repeal of the only other section of the executive order. It states that "retired employees whose salaries were adjusted pursuant to Executive Order No. 347-1994 and rescinded by Executive Order No. 350-1995 shall have such salary adjustment reinstated for annuity purposes only."
According to a list of proposed salary increases for hundreds of upper and mid-level exempt government employees dated May 28, 2002, and published by the Source last July, the executive order was expected to add a total of about $6.4 million per year to the government payroll. Most of the increases were in excess of 20 percent and many exceeded 30 percent.
The average proposed salary increase was to $49,923 from $41,540.
(For the complete list of all unclassified employees who were slated to receive increases under the order, with their then-existing and proposed salaries, go to the Source Data: section and type the word "exempt" into the search prompt at the bottom of the page. A total of 12 lists covering the various departments and agencies are posted.)
One of the immediate effects of the executive order was to provide for increasing the salaries of commissioners to $85,000 from $65,000. The governor argued that the measure was needed because some heads of departments were making less than some of those serving under them, thanks to step increases, negotiated pay scales and/or longevity.
Last December, Turnbull submitted a bill to the 24th Legislature similarly increasing the salaries of legislators to $85,000, while also increasing those of the lieutenant governor (to $115,000 from $75,000) and governor (to $135,000 from $80,000). The Senate passed the bill in its final, free-spending session, on Dec. 23. But Turnbull, in the face of public protests mounted at his second-term inaugural festivities on St. Thomas, St. John and, especially, St. Croix, vetoed his own measure. Thus, senators' salaries remain at $65,000.
What the adminstration wants approved
In the letter signed by all 15 senators on Tuesday, they noted that "as a body, we have allowed for and accepted the executive branch's reduction of the Legislature's allotment by 14 percent. The executive branch must now exhibit the same willingness to exercise immediate restraint by cutting spending. The most critical expenditure of this government is, in fact, our payroll cost."
On April 24, the governor announced that the territory was facing a deficit of $100 million for the fiscal year ending Sept. 30. That figure was quickly raised to $115, and in recent testimony before the Senate, members of Turnbull's financial term said it could reach $144 million with a District Court moratorium imposed May 12 on the collection of real property taxes until such time as the government complies with a years-old order to reform its property tax assessment and collection system.
Turnbull's six-bill package now before the Senate includes virtually no proposed spending cutbacks. It calls for the government to borrow another $235 million, to spend most of it on various projects including the building of an $80 million hotel on St. Croix that the government would own, and to raise numerous existing taxes and add new ones, virtually all of them aimed at the business sector. (See "Outline of bills submitted to special session".
"We must emphasize that the entire legislative body has agreed to continue the process of adequately analyzing your financial recovery proposals submitted during the special session and referred to the Finance Committee," the senators' Tuesday letter stated. "However, the Legislature finds it difficult to incur more financial debt by borrowing money without a significant reduction in payroll costs. The greatest concern for the body is the need to roll back pay increases issued prior to November 2002 in accordance with the executive orders."
The letter also noted that a 1999 Memorandum of Understanding between the V.I. government and the U.S. Interior Department "required your administration to implement specific budgetary reforms and to submit a balanced 2004 budget." However, it said, "Despite some successful reforms in FY 1999, several audits and financial reports have revealed that the administration has failed to comply with the terms of the MOU."
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The deal: roll back the hefty pay raises granted to exempt and unclassified government workers in 2002 under the aegis of an executive order Gov. Charles W. Turnbull issued in November of 2001.
"We are respectfully requesting the immediate repeal of Sections 1, 2 and 3 of Executive Order No. 401-2002, dated Nov. 1, 2001, as both a sign and measure of the executive branch's willingness to work with the Legislature to reduce the operating cost of our government," the letter said.
And it set a deadline for his doing so: "no later than 10 a.m. on Thursday" — which is when the Senate Finance Committee is scheduled to convene to take up the six bills Turnbull submitted late on the night of May 20 for consideration at a special session he had called for May 22. At the session, the Senate voted to refer all of the bills to the Finance Committee.
At a press conference held Tuesday morning in the Legislative Conference Room on St. Croix, Senate President David Jones, flanked by 10 majority and minority bloc members, said "all have decided to put aside their differences" to try to resolve the financial crisis, a release issued later in the day stated.
Jones said that what comes out of the Finance Committee meeting on Thursday "will go to the [Senate] floor on Monday in regular session where the Senate will act."
He indicated, according to the release, that the session will focus on "the development of initiatives to relieve the stress on our financial conditions and, most importantly, cut costs and raise revenues."
Sen. Raymond "Usie" Richards, the Minority Caucus leader, expressed the minority's "continued willingness to work in unison to address our government's need for financial stability, growth and development."
What the senators want repealed
Section 1 of the November 2001 executive order repeals earlier orders issued in 1987, 1990, 1994 and 1999.
Section 2 caps the salary for commissioners, the Office of Management and Budget director, the Personnel director "and persons in similar position of authority as may be determined by the governor" at $97,000. It caps those for assistant commissioners and those in similar positions at $92,000, those for deputy commissioners and those in similar positions at $87,000 and those for division directors and administrators, coordinators and those in similar positions at $70,000.
Section 3 provides that each commissioner or agency head shall, in conjunction with the OMB director, certify that the implementation of the managerial salary schedule established in Section 2 "does not exceed the existing level of appropriations for the department, agency or office for which the commissioner or other head is responsible."
The senators have not called for repeal of the only other section of the executive order. It states that "retired employees whose salaries were adjusted pursuant to Executive Order No. 347-1994 and rescinded by Executive Order No. 350-1995 shall have such salary adjustment reinstated for annuity purposes only."
According to a list of proposed salary increases for hundreds of upper and mid-level exempt government employees dated May 28, 2002, and published by the Source last July, the executive order was expected to add a total of about $6.4 million per year to the government payroll. Most of the increases were in excess of 20 percent and many exceeded 30 percent.
The average proposed salary increase was to $49,923 from $41,540.
(For the complete list of all unclassified employees who were slated to receive increases under the order, with their then-existing and proposed salaries, go to the Source Data: section and type the word "exempt" into the search prompt at the bottom of the page. A total of 12 lists covering the various departments and agencies are posted.)
One of the immediate effects of the executive order was to provide for increasing the salaries of commissioners to $85,000 from $65,000. The governor argued that the measure was needed because some heads of departments were making less than some of those serving under them, thanks to step increases, negotiated pay scales and/or longevity.
Last December, Turnbull submitted a bill to the 24th Legislature similarly increasing the salaries of legislators to $85,000, while also increasing those of the lieutenant governor (to $115,000 from $75,000) and governor (to $135,000 from $80,000). The Senate passed the bill in its final, free-spending session, on Dec. 23. But Turnbull, in the face of public protests mounted at his second-term inaugural festivities on St. Thomas, St. John and, especially, St. Croix, vetoed his own measure. Thus, senators' salaries remain at $65,000.
What the adminstration wants approved
In the letter signed by all 15 senators on Tuesday, they noted that "as a body, we have allowed for and accepted the executive branch's reduction of the Legislature's allotment by 14 percent. The executive branch must now exhibit the same willingness to exercise immediate restraint by cutting spending. The most critical expenditure of this government is, in fact, our payroll cost."
On April 24, the governor announced that the territory was facing a deficit of $100 million for the fiscal year ending Sept. 30. That figure was quickly raised to $115, and in recent testimony before the Senate, members of Turnbull's financial term said it could reach $144 million with a District Court moratorium imposed May 12 on the collection of real property taxes until such time as the government complies with a years-old order to reform its property tax assessment and collection system.
Turnbull's six-bill package now before the Senate includes virtually no proposed spending cutbacks. It calls for the government to borrow another $235 million, to spend most of it on various projects including the building of an $80 million hotel on St. Croix that the government would own, and to raise numerous existing taxes and add new ones, virtually all of them aimed at the business sector. (See "Outline of bills submitted to special session".
"We must emphasize that the entire legislative body has agreed to continue the process of adequately analyzing your financial recovery proposals submitted during the special session and referred to the Finance Committee," the senators' Tuesday letter stated. "However, the Legislature finds it difficult to incur more financial debt by borrowing money without a significant reduction in payroll costs. The greatest concern for the body is the need to roll back pay increases issued prior to November 2002 in accordance with the executive orders."
The letter also noted that a 1999 Memorandum of Understanding between the V.I. government and the U.S. Interior Department "required your administration to implement specific budgetary reforms and to submit a balanced 2004 budget." However, it said, "Despite some successful reforms in FY 1999, several audits and financial reports have revealed that the administration has failed to comply with the terms of the MOU."
Publisher's note : Like the St. Thomas Source now? Find out how you can love us twice as much — and show your support for the islands' free and independent news voice … click here.
NOTICE OF CONTINUANCE
The Economic Development Commission Show Cause Hearing on Medical Air Services International, Inc., scheduled for Tuesday, June 3, at 10 a.m. at the Palms Court Harbourview Hotel, No.'s 4&5 Gamble Nordsidevej, St. Thomas, U.S. Virgin Islands has been continued until further notice.
NOTICE OF CONTINUANCE
The Economic Development Commission Show Cause Hearing on Medical Air Services International, Inc., scheduled for Tuesday, June 3, at 10 a.m. at the Palms Court Harbourview Hotel, No.'s 4&5 Gamble Nordsidevej, St. Thomas, U.S. Virgin Islands has been continued until further notice.
'BE DEVIANT; CHALLENGE CONCESSIVE BEHAVIOUR'
Dear Source:
In a recent debate with local GOP leadership, it was suggested that if the local GOP wants to be successful, I, and others, must practice constant concessive behavior. Webster defines being concessive as going along, not making waves, to compromise, concede, give in or give up.
For years, studies have been conducted to understand why individuals go along or remain silent in cases when they know activities are wrong (Is Silent Killing Your Company, Harvard Business Review, May 2003, pg 53). Research studies have stated that fear is the major reasons individuals do not speak up, generally because most are consumed with keeping their jobs, paychecks or relationships in tact. So what can be attributed to why so many in leadership positions here in the territory are remaining silent on so many issues? Are these studies correct and right on point, and therefore answer the question of why we do not hear members of the Governor’s cabinet speaking about our financial crisis? Little is stated about how money is actually being managed or mismanaged.
As I read and watch the debates and solutions being presented to solve our current financial crisis one has to wonder why more individuals have not spoken out; are we all guilty of concessive behavior? The Administration’s method for finding a solution to such an enormous financial crisis is risky, but mostly goes unchallenged. I question how effective the current administration will be by using a suggestion-box approach to finding a quick solution. If these ideas are not analyzed to determine their long-term impact we may be positioning ourselves for larger problems down the line.
It is my hope that as these individuals sit around the room, thinking up ways to address our immediate needs, that they are also considering that every action causes a reaction, every choice has a consequence, and short-term solutions often have long-term impacts. Realistically, how can we expect those that created the problem to find a solution? One suggested approach would be to create a roundtable of individuals from private businesses and organizations, government employees of all levels, union representatives and concerned citizens.
Although, our governor is Democrat, the Senate majority is mostly Democrats, and the Congresswoman is a Democrat, to expect anything other than agreement down party lines would be unrealistic. Many are looking to blame someone. We should not, in all fairness, let the Democrats shoulder all the blame, nor the sole responsibility for finding a solution. At the federal level, we have a Republican House, Senate and a Republican president; thus, the local GOP should have positioned itself to be a more powerful group by using this rare balance of power to bring more assistance here to the territory.
Unfortunately, it has only been recently that the local GOP leadership has made a public statement about the deficit. I commend the State Chair (GOP) for finally speaking out; however, one might say that he is a day late and a dollar short. Like many others, the local GOP leadership is now eager to jump on the bandwagon of criticism; yet, it has offered little as viable solutions. We all know that we have a deficit that exceeds 100 million dollars, and restating that in an article does little to reduce our deficit.
What would have been helpful would have been to offer to partner and work together with the Administration to find ways to reduce the deficit.
We should all question why local GOP leadership has made it a practice of exhibiting a pattern of concessive behavior. One does not have to look far to see the results of what can take place when silence prevails; for example, Enron, Tyco, WorldCom and the Watergate and Iran/Contra affairs. Thus, the concessive behavior exhibited by the local GOP is not an option, especially when our government is overwhelmed by so many problems. The local GOP should be meeting with Democratic leaders to offer suggestions for working (together) to improve the territory’s fiscal crisis and other pressing issues like education, sewage, Tourism, crime and the high rate of unemployment on St. Croix. Sometime I wonder if I am the only one that notices the concessive behavior of the leadership of the local GOP and its resulting diminishing effectiveness.
More often than I care to count I have been labeled a troublemaker, hard to get along with or a hot head. Technically, I could be called a deviant. But, not in the sense once might think. According the many behavioral scientists, to act deviantly can be positive. In fact, studies have shown that deviance is a creative way of seeking out and inventing new ways of doing things. By challenging a group’s concessive behavior, the deviant can serve to change the group’s unchallenged concessive patterns.
The problems the VI is facing are of such magnitude that they require a gathering of all minds, not just a few. Clearly this is not the time for any of us to concede.
Lawrence Boschulte
St. Thomas
In a recent debate with local GOP leadership, it was suggested that if the local GOP wants to be successful, I, and others, must practice constant concessive behavior. Webster defines being concessive as going along, not making waves, to compromise, concede, give in or give up.
For years, studies have been conducted to understand why individuals go along or remain silent in cases when they know activities are wrong (Is Silent Killing Your Company, Harvard Business Review, May 2003, pg 53). Research studies have stated that fear is the major reasons individuals do not speak up, generally because most are consumed with keeping their jobs, paychecks or relationships in tact. So what can be attributed to why so many in leadership positions here in the territory are remaining silent on so many issues? Are these studies correct and right on point, and therefore answer the question of why we do not hear members of the Governor’s cabinet speaking about our financial crisis? Little is stated about how money is actually being managed or mismanaged.
As I read and watch the debates and solutions being presented to solve our current financial crisis one has to wonder why more individuals have not spoken out; are we all guilty of concessive behavior? The Administration’s method for finding a solution to such an enormous financial crisis is risky, but mostly goes unchallenged. I question how effective the current administration will be by using a suggestion-box approach to finding a quick solution. If these ideas are not analyzed to determine their long-term impact we may be positioning ourselves for larger problems down the line.
It is my hope that as these individuals sit around the room, thinking up ways to address our immediate needs, that they are also considering that every action causes a reaction, every choice has a consequence, and short-term solutions often have long-term impacts. Realistically, how can we expect those that created the problem to find a solution? One suggested approach would be to create a roundtable of individuals from private businesses and organizations, government employees of all levels, union representatives and concerned citizens.
Although, our governor is Democrat, the Senate majority is mostly Democrats, and the Congresswoman is a Democrat, to expect anything other than agreement down party lines would be unrealistic. Many are looking to blame someone. We should not, in all fairness, let the Democrats shoulder all the blame, nor the sole responsibility for finding a solution. At the federal level, we have a Republican House, Senate and a Republican president; thus, the local GOP should have positioned itself to be a more powerful group by using this rare balance of power to bring more assistance here to the territory.
Unfortunately, it has only been recently that the local GOP leadership has made a public statement about the deficit. I commend the State Chair (GOP) for finally speaking out; however, one might say that he is a day late and a dollar short. Like many others, the local GOP leadership is now eager to jump on the bandwagon of criticism; yet, it has offered little as viable solutions. We all know that we have a deficit that exceeds 100 million dollars, and restating that in an article does little to reduce our deficit.
What would have been helpful would have been to offer to partner and work together with the Administration to find ways to reduce the deficit.
We should all question why local GOP leadership has made it a practice of exhibiting a pattern of concessive behavior. One does not have to look far to see the results of what can take place when silence prevails; for example, Enron, Tyco, WorldCom and the Watergate and Iran/Contra affairs. Thus, the concessive behavior exhibited by the local GOP is not an option, especially when our government is overwhelmed by so many problems. The local GOP should be meeting with Democratic leaders to offer suggestions for working (together) to improve the territory’s fiscal crisis and other pressing issues like education, sewage, Tourism, crime and the high rate of unemployment on St. Croix. Sometime I wonder if I am the only one that notices the concessive behavior of the leadership of the local GOP and its resulting diminishing effectiveness.
More often than I care to count I have been labeled a troublemaker, hard to get along with or a hot head. Technically, I could be called a deviant. But, not in the sense once might think. According the many behavioral scientists, to act deviantly can be positive. In fact, studies have shown that deviance is a creative way of seeking out and inventing new ways of doing things. By challenging a group’s concessive behavior, the deviant can serve to change the group’s unchallenged concessive patterns.
The problems the VI is facing are of such magnitude that they require a gathering of all minds, not just a few. Clearly this is not the time for any of us to concede.
Lawrence Boschulte
St. Thomas
Editor's note: We welcome and encourage readers to keep the dialogue going by responding to Source commentary. Letters should be e-mailed with name and place of residence to source@viaccess.net.
JUDGE: LEGISLATION COULD LIFT TAX MORATORIUM
June 2, 2003 – Having ordered the V.I. government to suspend the collection of property taxes several weeks ago, District Judge Thomas K. Moore said on Monday that he'd be willing to reconsider his stance if lawmakers can come up with a new tax collection plan he finds acceptable. At a hearing in his St. Thomas courtroom, Moore said he hadn't intended to comment on the Turnbull administration's proposal to collect only voluntary payments of property taxes for the years1999 through 2004. But he said he did so, "because it was done at the time the case was actively being litigated."
Moore said he has no problem with the government collecting property taxes. His concern is with the system used to assess the value of real property for tax purposes. In his May 12 ruling on the consolidated portion of the current tax case involving 11 plaintiffs, he ordered the V.I. government to stop issuing new tax bills until the assessment system is reformed.
But at Monday's hearing he stated that "nothing in the memorandum was decreed to prevent anyone from paying their taxes if they wanted to."
In a bid to get the moratorium on tax collections lifted, Gov. Charles W. Turnbull included a tax-payment provision in his pending package of borrowing, taxing and spending proposals to address the territory's fiscal crisis. It provides for property owners who pay their 1999 through 2004 taxes prior to enactment of the court-ordered revised assessment system to be entitled to a credit for any overpayment toward their subsequent year's tax bill. The package of bills is to be taken up by the Senate Finance Committee on Thursday.
According to David Bornn, one of the plaintiffs' attorneys, Moore expressed concern about what would happen to disputed tax bills dating from before 1999 or after 2004. He also raised the issue of what protections property owners would have if they agreed to pay estimated taxes in lieu of receiving bills.
Moore also questioned the calculations used to determine how much money the government should set aside in a fund for issuing rebates to property owners who overpay their tax bills.
He summed up his concerns to a V.I. Justice Department legal team headed by Assistant Attorney General Kerry Drue.
In a special session in February, while the consolidated tax case was under way in Moore's court, the Senate approved legislation submitted by the governor providing for 2001 through 2004 property tax bills to be sent out using 1999 valuations. Despite Moore's chastisement of the government's action, Turnbull signed the bill into law as Act No. 6574.
Moore said on Monday that the government needs to amend the act to provide for:
– Billing property owners at 1999 levels indefinitely until the tax assessment system is changed.
– Changing the assessment system.
– Making sure there are sufficient funds available for rebates to those who are found to have overpaid their taxes
Moore suggested that up to $1 million be placed in the fund for rebates. Drue said the V.I. government could not decide how much would be adequate and so turned to the court for guidance; however, the judge said it will be up to the government to decide.
Moore also appointed Joseph Hunt as special master to oversee changes to the property tax assessment system. Hunt was appointed more than two years ago to oversee implementation of the December 2000 settlement of the landmark case in which two St. Thomas commercial property owners challenged the government's practice of assessing property on the basis of replacement value and not market value.
As both a licensed appraiser and a former tax assessor, Hunt brings to the task a background in viewing property assessments from both the owner's and the government's point of view. "He's eminently qualified," Bornn said.
Publisher's note : Like the St. Thomas Source now? Find out how you can love us twice as much — and show your support for the islands' free and independent news voice … click here.
Moore said he has no problem with the government collecting property taxes. His concern is with the system used to assess the value of real property for tax purposes. In his May 12 ruling on the consolidated portion of the current tax case involving 11 plaintiffs, he ordered the V.I. government to stop issuing new tax bills until the assessment system is reformed.
But at Monday's hearing he stated that "nothing in the memorandum was decreed to prevent anyone from paying their taxes if they wanted to."
In a bid to get the moratorium on tax collections lifted, Gov. Charles W. Turnbull included a tax-payment provision in his pending package of borrowing, taxing and spending proposals to address the territory's fiscal crisis. It provides for property owners who pay their 1999 through 2004 taxes prior to enactment of the court-ordered revised assessment system to be entitled to a credit for any overpayment toward their subsequent year's tax bill. The package of bills is to be taken up by the Senate Finance Committee on Thursday.
According to David Bornn, one of the plaintiffs' attorneys, Moore expressed concern about what would happen to disputed tax bills dating from before 1999 or after 2004. He also raised the issue of what protections property owners would have if they agreed to pay estimated taxes in lieu of receiving bills.
Moore also questioned the calculations used to determine how much money the government should set aside in a fund for issuing rebates to property owners who overpay their tax bills.
He summed up his concerns to a V.I. Justice Department legal team headed by Assistant Attorney General Kerry Drue.
In a special session in February, while the consolidated tax case was under way in Moore's court, the Senate approved legislation submitted by the governor providing for 2001 through 2004 property tax bills to be sent out using 1999 valuations. Despite Moore's chastisement of the government's action, Turnbull signed the bill into law as Act No. 6574.
Moore said on Monday that the government needs to amend the act to provide for:
– Billing property owners at 1999 levels indefinitely until the tax assessment system is changed.
– Changing the assessment system.
– Making sure there are sufficient funds available for rebates to those who are found to have overpaid their taxes
Moore suggested that up to $1 million be placed in the fund for rebates. Drue said the V.I. government could not decide how much would be adequate and so turned to the court for guidance; however, the judge said it will be up to the government to decide.
Moore also appointed Joseph Hunt as special master to oversee changes to the property tax assessment system. Hunt was appointed more than two years ago to oversee implementation of the December 2000 settlement of the landmark case in which two St. Thomas commercial property owners challenged the government's practice of assessing property on the basis of replacement value and not market value.
As both a licensed appraiser and a former tax assessor, Hunt brings to the task a background in viewing property assessments from both the owner's and the government's point of view. "He's eminently qualified," Bornn said.
Publisher's note : Like the St. Thomas Source now? Find out how you can love us twice as much — and show your support for the islands' free and independent news voice … click here.
